Marichat May 2018
by What a Rubber Chicken
Summary: Some of my entries for Marichat May 2018. Mostly fun and lighthearted. Some may even be borderline crack.
1. Chapter 1

_(I told myself I wouldn't, but ehh, I'm weak for this ship.)_

 _Here are my submissions for Marichat May 2018. (Yes, I know I'm more than a month late, but RL sucks, my loves.) If you follow the tag on tumblr, you may notice that some days are missing, and some are out of order. That is because the ones that wanted to turn into more of a story are actually **in** their own little stories. Some of these may come back later, but... we'll see.  
_

 _Enjoy._

* * *

 **Injured**

Chat Noir glared at his captor.

"Let me go," he demanded.

"No."

" _Please_ let me go?" he tried.

"No."

"I'll Cataclysm my way out," he warned.

Marinette scoffed. "You will not. That's your favorite color and you've been begging me to make a scarf for you for the past two weeks! Now, stop being such a baby," she admonished as she came closer.

"I'll get you more. I'll get you dozens of colors! I'll—OW! Ow, ow, ow, ow!"

"Baby."

"Am not," he grumbled.

"Are too."

"Am no—OW! You did that on purpose!" he cried, trying to squirm away from her. The fact that she'd hogtied him with yarn and was currently sitting on his chest, so he couldn't get away, was making that a bit difficult.

"It has to be disinfected, Chat," Marinette said patiently as she dabbed at the wound on his forehead with antiseptic.

"So, how did you get this again?" she asked. He didn't answer. From the wound, it looked like he'd hit the corner of a building, so she wasn't really surprised when he didn't own up to it.

Not for the first time, she wondered why their indestructible suits didn't include helmets. Sure, they looked cool with their hair blowing in the wind, but was it really worth it if her partner kept getting hit in the head?

She'd found him on her balcony, sitting there dazed, bleeding, and unable to locate the baton still strapped to his back. She'd gotten him inside with promises of snacks and drinks, and he'd fallen down the stairs! (So much for cat-like reflexes!) Now, here he was: Hero of Paris, incapacitated by a ball of yarn.

Sighing, she tried to be gentle as she bandaged the wound and pressed some ice against it.

Chat whined. "That's cold."

He sounded like a pathetic kitten instead of the sharp-witted fighter she knew him to be.

"It's supposed to be," she said. "Now, I'm going to untie your hands, so you can hold the ice pack instead of me. Don't you dare try to run. I _will_ catch you," she warned. She flicked on a light to see what she was doing and happened to watch her friend's eyes as he flinched away.

His eyes weren't reacting right.

"Chat? Chat, how many fingers am I holding up?" she asked, holding up three fingers. He blinked at her for a moment and then turned away. "Chat Noir?"

"I see six, but I… I know that's not right, okay?" he muttered. "I just need a minute."

"You have a concussion. You need more than a minute," Marinette declared as she finished untying his hands. "You're staying here for the night."

"I can't."

"You can, and you will."

"You don't understand. My father—"

"I do not give a _damn_ about your father, Chat Noir!" Marinette seethed, having heard enough about the man on late-night patrols. "If he's half the parent he _should_ be, he will not want you out, _jumping buildings_ when you have a bleeding head wound!"

Marinette stopped yelling as she took in her partner's wide eyes.

"You're injured," she said, much more softly. "Please stay the night. Please. I could never forgive myself if something happened to you."

"Okay," he said, just as softly.

"Okay?" she repeated hopefully.

Chat nodded, then winced again. "Could you… untie my feet?" he asked. "This position is really uncomfortable."

Marinette laughed and went to do just that.

* * *

End.


	2. Chapter 2

**Can I pick, Princess?**

It had been a stressful day, and Marinette had finally retreated to her balcony to get some artistic therapy in (i.e. she was sketching up a storm). Her current design needed hard, bold lines, which was perfect for her current mood.

So, of course, Fate dictated that she be interrupted.

"Hi, princess!" chirped a far-too-eager voice. Marinette shrieked and jumped, her sketchbook falling to the ground.

"Chat Noir! You startled me! You—"

"OMG!" Chat squealed, his eyes going round when he saw her sketchbook. Before she could stop him, he'd scooped it up.

"Oh no…."

"Mari! Princess! My sweet, creative genius! Lady after my own heart! _Please_ tell me you plan on making these!" he begged, dancing around the balcony with his fingers tracing her designs.

"I can only afford to make one, Chat," she sighed. He stopped.

"I will pay. I will fund this whole line," he said, suddenly serious.

Marinette laughed. "I only have _time_ to make one right now, silly kitty. I was going to enter the best one in the new contest Gabriel Agreste is holding."

"That explains it," Chat said, still smiling at her sketches like they'd made his dearest wishes come true. Which they might have.

Marinette knew he was a bit of a dork when it came to video games, so she'd based her new designs around characters in a few of them. And, since Gabriel had requested the theme of the contest be based on Paris's superheroes, she'd drawn Chat as the model.

So, now he got to see himself dressed up as his favorite heroes. Link. Mario. Many others. She'd even given him a Keyblade in one and dressed him up as Sora. And he was clearly two seconds from exploding.

"Eeeeeiiii!" he squealed. "You gave me an Assassin's Creed trenchcoat!"

Marinette giggled. "Turn the page," she suggested.

He did so, and had to cover his mouth to stop himself from screaming again when he saw the back of the coat, done up in his colors and sporting the words "Bug Man" in large lettering.

"I want two," he declared.

"I'll keep it in mind for Christmas," Marinette winked.

"Princess!" Chat Noir whined. "You can't just _show_ me these and—"

"I didn't _intend_ to show you anything," Marinette reminded him, attempting to take the sketchbook back. Chat twisted, trying to keep it for just a bit longer. "I just dropped it. Now, give it back."

"But… but… which one are you gonna make?"

"I don't know yet."

Chat Noir perked up. "Can I pick, princess?"

Marinette gave him a dry stare, then smirked. "I dunno, kitty. _Can_ you?"

He looked at her, then down to the sketchbook. Then back up to her.

He let out a long, loud wail.

"OH, CRUEL PRINCESS! SADISTIC TEMPTRESS OF MY HEART! WHY HAVE YOU BETRAYED ME LIKE THIS? WHYYYYY?"

"Oh, knock it off," she said, lightly smacking his shoulder. "And give it back to me so I can finish the Ultimate Mecha Strike III one."

"YOU MADE ME INTO A MECHA?!"

"You already _are_ one, you over-dramatic pussy cat. I just modified the Cat Bot's design to fit over your suit—WHOA, CHAT, PUT ME DOWN!"

"SHE LOVES ME! SHE REALLY, REALLY LOVES ME!"

* * *

End.


	3. Chapter 3

_(The title for this one is actually the first line.)_

* * *

 **Dear Diary:** My parents said they adopted a cat, but I was somehow still surprised to see Chat Noir in my living room, drinking hot chocolate.

Worse, he was curled up, with his head on my mom's lap, enjoying her fingers running through his hair, while they both watched my father play Story Mode on Ultimate Mecha Strike III. Apparently, he and my father had already played Versus Mode so much that, after their last tiebreaker, Maman forced them to stop before they broke the couch with all their shenanigans.

Her words, not mine.

I'm also in trouble for leaving him stranded on my balcony.

I WASN'T EVEN HOME! I WAS WITH ALYA ALL AFTERNOON! How was I supposed to know Chat would stop by for a visit tonight?! Or that Maman would happen to see him peeking in when she brought up my laundry?

Apparently, they're giving him free reign of the house from now on, diary. I'm to keep my balcony hatch unlocked until they can get another key made.

 _My_ balcony.

Okay, look, I get it; there's no one else who would likely use an entrance like that one, so it makes sense, but still! IT'S _MY_ BALCONY! TO _MY_ ROOM!

I'M A TEENAGE GIRL! HE'S A TEENAGE BOY! DOES NO ONE SEE THE PROBLEM HERE?

My dad thinks he's a perfect gentleman. My mom thinks he's a cat. THEY DON'T KNOW HIM LIKE I DO!

They don't know about all the flirting and lame puns I have to endure as Ladybug! He's told them it's all in good, harmless fun! That Ladybug flirts as much as he does! And I can't refute that without revealing myself!

IT'S SO FRUSTRATING!

He's still sitting down there, preening under their care while they watch a movie and—hold up, they're calling me down.

….

GDI

FML, they're actually trying to adopt him. They said either I marry him, or he becomes my new brother. Excuse me while I go scream into my pillow. They even asked for his real name, so they can start the process. (He refused, of course! Thank GOD! In fact, I think he was blushing as hard as me.)

I can't even, anymore.

* * *

 **Dear Diary:** IT GOT WORSE.

Today, that stupid cat came by and asked for my hand in marriage, using a—no joke—ball of yarn!

Oh yeah. The whole nine yards. Got down on one knee and declared his everlasting love for me in the sappiest tone possible. Tears. Big smiles. I think there was Shakespeare. The goof was really laying it on thick, having the time of his life, but the joke's on him.

My parents are already planning our engagement party.

* * *

End.


	4. Chapter 4

_(I honestly didn't understand this prompt at first, but hey, the idea's not mine. Kinda like the series. -yay, disclaimer.)_

* * *

 **Croissant Murder**

Marinette looked up when she heard something coming down from her balcony and smirked when he finally made it into her room. She idly rolled her chair in front of her computer and stretched her arms over her plate of after-school snacks, claiming them as hers.

"I thought dogs were the ones who drooled, but this is hilarious," she snickered as Chat Noir stared at the plate with his jaw dropped. "You've got a little something hanging from the corner of your mouth there, kitty."

He quickly swallowed and wiped his chin, before looking up at her pleadingly.

"It's been two months since I had something sweet," he said, sounding serious. "I would murder for a croissant. Help me, princess. Please?"

"Hmm. Chloe Bourgeois."

He gaped at her. She shrugged.

"You offered to murder someone."

He gave a little sigh and rubbed his temples. "The fact that I am even remotely considering this says a lot about _both_ our state-of-minds."

"It's the end of Fashion Week," she reminded him.

"I'm still not killing Chloe."

"You're right. Too high-profile. Lila Rossi."

"Princess…."

"Fine. Gabriel Agreste."

Chat laughed. "Don't tempt me. Don't you dare tempt me."

"I'm serious. You didn't see how exhausted his son was this week," Marinette said, scowling. "I love fashion, but somebody needs to tell that man to take it down a notch. Or knock some common sense into him, the hard way."

She missed the adoring look Chat gave her as she seethed in fury on her friend's behalf.

"At least Fashion Week is finally over," he said, flopping down on her chaise. He looked over at her. "Are you really gonna make me murder someone for a snack?"

"I'll bake you a whole pie if you take out Ms. Mendeleiev," Marinette muttered, glaring down at her physics homework ('it's the weekend! You have twice as much time, so you should get twice as much work done!'). She tossed Chat a croissant. He immediately scarfed it down and sighed in bliss.

"That's quite the hit list, princess," he grinned. "Should I be worried? Are you secretly an evil villain?"

"Muahahahaha!" Marinette teased, lowering her voice and attempting to look scary. "Fear me! Doom and gloom and bad b-movie lines! Muahahaha!" she started coughing on that last evil laugh, and looked up to see Chat shaking with laughter.

"I take it that's a no, huh? I'm just not scary enough?" she mock-pouted.

"I think you've got the wrong role," Chat said. "Female evil villains are more like… 'Ku ku ku!'" He put his hand against his mouth primly and imitated a high cackle.

Both he and Marinette were silent for a moment.

"I did that a little too well, didn't I."

Marinette burst out laughing.

"Behold, Chat Noir, the sexy Evil Mistress!" she said.

"Darn right," he agreed, getting up and strutting his stuff around her room. "You know why they call it a catwalk, princess?" he asked, idly twirling his tail and popping a hip.

"Because I. Own. It." He tossed his hair dramatically.

Marinette laughed harder and applauded. "Bravo! Bravo! Here, let me stuff these in your belt," she said, grabbing a couple croissants.

Chat looked offended. "When did I go from sexy Evil Mistress to stripper?"

Marinette shrugged. "Well, if the black leather cat-suit fits…."

He glared at her. "I am _offended_ ," he said, "and I'm going to take these cookies and go be alone with them in the corner now."

"Hey!" Marinette exclaimed, as he grabbed her whole plate of treats. She shook her head at his antics. "You'd be more believable if you'd stop shaking your hips when you're walking away from me!"

"Just admit it, princess!" Chat called over his shoulder. "You hate to see me go," he looked back at her and winked, "but you _love_ to watch me leave."

The yarn ball threw itself at his head. Really.

* * *

End.


	5. Chapter 5

**Yarning for You**

Laying on Marinette's bed was relaxing. Not only was it soft and comfortable, but the cat in him fully approved of the elevation, and the fact that there was an escape route available nearby. It was _perfect_. He needed a bed like this. Stuffed animals, sweet bakery smell and all.

Chat tossed the ball of yarn in the air and caught it thoughtfully.

Pink. Pink for Marinette, most definitely.

He grabbed another.

Red. Red was undoubtedly Ladybug.

He smiled at the two balls of yarn in his hands, representing his two favorite girls. Then he reached in the basket for another.

Lime green. Chat grinned. That was his. (He _would_ call dibs on the black one, but he and that particular ball of yarn had had an altercation earlier….)

"So _this_ is where you snuck my yarn collection off to—Chaaat," Marinette groaned, looking at the mess of black yarn on her bed.

He grinned at her unrepentantly. "Oops. What? It rolled away from me! I _had_ to catch it!"

She sighed and seated herself on the bed, attempting to re-roll the ball. "Why do I put up with you?"

"My _exquisite_ animal magnetism," he quipped, studying the green ball. He wondered…. "Hey, princess? What color would you give Adrien?"

"W-what?" she stuttered, blushing lightly.

Chat grinned again. Now that he knew about her crush, it was so damn cute to see her get all flustered about it.

"What color do you associate with Adrien the most?" he asked.

"Oh," Marinette bit her lip, "light blue, I guess."

"Really?" he said, surprised. He didn't really wear that color much as Adrien, why would she—

She leaned over and took out a light-blue ball of yarn from the bag he'd snatched earlier.

"I made him a scarf with it once," she said, looking at it fondly. Chat froze, staring at her. "Even if it didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped, I'm still happy I was able to make him happy."

"What happened?" he asked quietly.

She shrugged. "I forgot to sign it," she said. "Or, well, I did, but it must've fallen off or something so he thought it came from someone else. I dunno. It doesn't matter."

"It does matter!" Chat protested, inwardly seething. _His father. His father had stolen a present from his classmate?_ "You should tell him the truth!"

Marinette gave him a dry stare. "It was months ago, Chat," she reminded him. "What possible reason could I have for telling him now?"

"Because you worked hard on it? Because he never got to thank you? Because he'd want to know?"

"Don't be silly," she said, gently tossing the blue ball at him. He caught it with his free hand, blinking at her in disbelief. "All that would do is make him feel bad. He was happy on his birthday. That's enough for me."

Chat opened his mouth, but no words came out. _That was enough? No thanks or elaborate gifts in return needed? Just his happiness? That was all?_

He continued to stare at her at his heart gave a painful twang. He wanted to pull her into his arms and give her a big hug. Tell her thank you. Tell her he appreciated her and all the thoughtfulness that went into everything she did….

He sat up to try to do something or say something, _anything_ , but she glared at him and waggled a finger in his direction.

"Don't you dare unravel anymore of those."

He chuckled lightly, looking down at his hands. That's right. He was Chat Noir right now. He couldn't thank her for something she'd given Adrien. The two balls of yarn in his hands summed it up. Green and blue. Chat and Adrien. Two different boys, in her mind.

Hmm, he wondered….

"Hey, princess," he said, as she finished re-rolling the black yarn. She looked up at him and he held up the yarn balls in his hands. "Which would you rather have? Green or blue?"

 _Me or Adrien, princess? Which one would you choose, even subconsciously?_

"Silly kitty," Marinette said, leaning over until she was very close to his face. Chat flushed as his pulse quickened. Then, to his surprise, she snatched the yarn right out of his hands.

"They're _both_ mine already!"

Then she also grabbed the bag of yarn and climbed down the ladder before he'd recovered.

He licked his lips to try to calm his racing heart.

"You have no idea how right you are, princess," he muttered.

* * *

End.


	6. Chapter 6

**Video**

Alya was ecstatic, of course. Within an hour of the video going viral, she'd already coined the term "Marichat" as their celebrity couple name.

Adrien kept blushing for some reason, whenever somebody brought the video up. But he laughed as loud as anybody when they all started joking about it.

Nino was strangely quiet about the matter, occasionally shooting his best friend worried glances.

Chloe, of course, was convinced it was a fake. "It has to be Marinette trying to gain attention by associating herself with a superhero! Why, when _my_ best friend Ladybug finds out about all this, she'll give that upstart baker girl exactly what she deserves!"

Marinette, for her part, simply wanted to hide in the girls' bathroom for the rest of forever. Sadly, her bestie wouldn't let her.

"M, come on! You've gotta come out! Class is about to start!"

"Fine…."

"Oh, and I want an interview about what exactly happened, girl!"

"Alya…."

"No, don't you go back in that stall, _Princess_ Marinette!"

It wasn't until she locked herself in her room after school that she managed to get a moment's peace, and she promptly collapsed on her chaise lounge.

"Oh, it's not so bad, Marinette," Tikki crooned. Then the kwami gave a sudden gasp and disappeared.

Marinette groaned as she heard a thump above her and her hatch opened. She listened to the sounds of Chat coming into her room, but the fact that he hadn't immediately greeted her in his usual cheerful way said a lot. She finally turned her head to see him.

He was just standing there, watching her, and twiddling his thumbs, looking like a kicked kitten.

"Sooo," he began, biting his lip, "about earlier…."

"I haven't gone on social media in over an hour," Marinette grumbled, "because the last time I did, I got hundreds of messages saying I wasn't good enough for you, that you belonged to Ladybug, blah de blah de blah. Two people even called me a furry."

Chat covered his laugh with a very-unbelievable cough.

"On the upside," she continued, rolling over to lay on her back, "my class wouldn't talk about anything else today, so I was saved from getting roasted for falling on top of Adrien _again_ , my best friend is on Cloud 9 with all the press, my parents are somehow selling more wedding cakes than ever, I'm told our engagement party is going to be _fabulous_ , and I managed to piss Chloe off with little-to-no effort. So, yay."

"Little-to-no-effort?" Chat laughed.

"You were the one doing all the running," Marinette pointed out.

"We were being chased by an akuma! What was I supposed to do?"

"Apparently pick me up and carry me, princess-style, while half of Paris recorded it on their phones," she sighed, rubbing her eyes.

"Yeah, and why was _Alya's_ the one that went viral again?" he asked, grinning at her and whistling innocently.

Marinette scowled. "Because _she_ was the one who recorded that hand kiss you gave me once you put me down, telling me to 'stay safe, princess!' right before the akuma shot you again."

Chat laughed. "To be honest, I think it was more the fact that, when I got hit, _you_ picked _me_ up to go hide me from the akuma until I recovered!"

"That... might've been part of it," she acknowledged, throwing an arm over her eyes to hide from the world.

* * *

End.


	7. Chapter 7

**Belt Tail**

The movie was boring.

Oh, _God_ , was the movie boring. She'd had the villain figured out within five minutes, and watching the heroes go around and be thwarted (often by their own stupidity and saved by nothing more than sheer luck) was frustrating, to say the least.

Still, being cuddled from behind by a giant, warm, purring cat-boy pretty much made up for any egregious plot holes, she thought wryly, reaching back to scratch Chat gently behind the ears. He leaned into it for a moment, his purring intensifying.

"You're distracting me," he murmured in her ear.

"You're welcome," she said dryly.

"Oh, come on, it's not that bad," he said, shifting his hold on her so he could lean into her touch more.

Marinette glanced at the screen. "I have literally never seen this before, and I can already tell someone is gonna fall down that hole."

"What hole?"

On screen, one of the characters was pushed into the hole by the evil villain, much to the loud-wailing and carrying-on of his teammates.

"That hole."

"How did you know that?!" Chat exclaimed.

"It's a low-budget cartoon," Marinette said, rolling her eyes as the heroes swore eternal vengeance on the evil villain. As if they hadn't already sworn to take him down. "They literally can't afford to make something that detailed in the background unless it's part of the plot."

"Oh yeah? What about that stalactite in the back there?" Chat challenged as the heroes started their Epic Final Battle. "That looks pretty detailed."

She gave him a wry grin. "Chat-pancake."

"What? What's that supposed to—" No sooner had the word left his mouth than the stalactite in question came crashing down on top of one of the heroes. Chat scowled. "Never mind. I get it."

"I would think you've been in enough of these fights to understand how it's going to go from here," Marinette chuckled, scratching him under the chin. He grumbled a bit, his tail flickering back and forth. It caught Marinette's eye.

"How do you do that?" she asked, pointing at his waving tail. He blinked at it.

"It does it on its own," he said, shrugging.

"Can you feel it?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"Yeah," he admitted. "The ears too. It's weird."

"Does it hurt?"

"Huh?' he looked surprised by her question.

"Your tail. When I—er, Ladybug pulls on it or takes it off you, does it hurt?" she clarified. She'd never even thought of it before now, honestly. She'd simply seen it as an accessory she could use from time to time.

Chat thought about it for a moment. "Not really," he finally answered. "It's more like a jolt of awareness that somebody's touching me. And when I take it off, I lose all the feeling in it and it's just a belt until I put it back on. I do get kinda dizzy afterwards, though."

"Oh." Marinette made a mental note not to use the tail belt unless she absolutely had to.

Still….

She gently grabbed the tail in question and pulled it into her lap, giving it a gentle stroke.

"Princess…." Chat's voice sounded ragged.

"Can you feel that?" she asked, looking up at him as she stroked it again. He was blushing.

"YES," he rasped out, reaching out and pulling her hands away from the belt. It instantly retreated behind him again. Marinette pouted.

"You could've told me I was hurting you."

"It wasn't—I didn't—can we please just watch the movie?" Chat stammered. "I'm not sure I trust you experimenting with my tail. Especially with that look on your face."

"Hey! I'll have you know I am a perfectly-innocent teenage girl."

Chat snorted. "There's an oxymoron."

Marinette smacked him lightly upside the head, but Chat just grinned at her.

"All right, Movie Master, what happens next?" he said, nodding at the screen.

She scowled at him, but obliged and studied the situation for a moment. "The one who fell down the hole miraculously comes back up in the nick of time to save all his friends," she said.

Chat burst out laughing. "That'd never happen!"

He ended up owing her ten euros.

* * *

End.


	8. Chapter 8

**Catnip**

Marinette woke to a large, heavy body curling against her back. Her first instinct was, of course, to scream, but by the time she'd drawn in a breath for it, she knew exactly who was in bed with her. She was pretty sure there was only one person in the world who was able to purr, after all.

Though, the question of _why_ he was in her bed….

"Chat Noir," she said, breathing deeply to keep herself calm, "why are you in my bedroom after midnight?"

"Couldn't sleep," came the cheerful reply. He sounded far too awake for his own good.

"Did you try a glass of warm milk?" she grumbled.

"Can't. I'm lactose intolerant."

"You are not," Marinette huffed. "You've eaten a whole batch of my cream cheese scones before!"

"That was for the greater good," Chat said solemnly.

"What? How?"

"You smell good, princess," he said, nosing her hair and breathing deeply, completely ignoring her questions.

"Thanks," she said, feeling oddly-flattered. "I just took a shower."

"Mmm. Warm, cuddly princess," Chat murmured into her hair. Marinette felt herself blush.

"Well, this warm, cuddly princess needs her beauty sleep…," she hinted. He just grumbled and pulled her tighter against himself. She sighed and reached over to turn on her bedside lamp.

"Chat, I—did you hit your head again?" she exclaimed, turning in his arms and finally looking at the cat-themed superhero. His pupils were blown wide, despite the new light source in the room. He grinned at her broadly and shook his head.

"Nope! But the Eiffel Tower did wave at me on my way over."

Marinette stared at him.

"What?"

He nodded, completely serious. "Oh yes, it's very friendly."

She stared some more, speechless.

"Not Notre Dame, though. The gargoyles are mean." Chat hissed in the general direction of the church.

Marinette wasn't quite sure what to do with this information. Had he been hit by an akuma, maybe? Hawkmoth tended to stay within working hours, but they'd had late-night monsters before…. Chat suddenly climbed into her lap, as best he could, laying his head on her knee.

"I saw Jesus in a croissant."

"WHAT?" she couldn't help her own squawk. _What the actual—?_

"Yes. It was flying. Do you think all croissants fly, or just holy ones?" He turned to look up at her. If it wasn't for his completely serious expression, she'd think he was having a laugh. As it was….

"I think I'm not giving you croissants for awhile," she muttered.

"You _godless heathen._ "

He looked shocked and affronted. Marinette rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on.

"Chat," she said, "what are you on and why aren't you sharing?"

"Oh! It's catnip!" Chat said, his eager, happy face back to normal. He pulled out a little bag of what was obviously dried leaves. "But I don't think it'll work for you, princess," he added, looking sad. He pondered the bag. "Maybe if you wear kitty ears…. HOLY CRAP, I HAVE A TAIL!" He jumped away from his own appendage, seemingly entranced when it followed him. "PRINCESS, HAVE YOU SEEN THIS THING?"

"Oh. My. God. How is this my life?" she groaned. "Chat, how much of that did you eat?"

"None, yet," he said, shrugging. "I just smelled it. It smells _really_ good. And it makes me feel good. You think I should eat it?"

"NO!" Marinette said quickly, snatching the bag away from him. "Just… don't move for a few minutes. I'm going to Google how long this'll take to get out of your system."

"I'll be silent and still," Chat promised, crouching down on her bed. "Like a ninja. In the night. I _am_ the night. I am… Catman. Duh na nuh…."

"I should be recording this," Marinette muttered.

"I probably shouldn't tell you about my father in the asparagus."

She froze and blinked up at him. He stared back.

"I ate him."

Marinette covered her mouth, trying not to laugh. "Did you apologize afterwards?" she finally asked.

"Of course not," he said, looking at her like she was insane. "I chewed extra hard too."

"Well, at least we know you haven't gone completely crazy," she grinned, starting up her computer.

* * *

End.


	9. Chapter 9

**Doodles**

"Hey, Mari!"

"EEK!" Marinette quickly spun around and tried to use her body to cover up her sketchbook.

No luck.

"Are you… doodling Chat Noir?" Chat's whole face lit up with unholy glee.

"NO!" Marinette said quickly, making sure the sketchbook was out of sight. "No, of course not!"

He grinned at her. "Didn't we already play this game?" he teased, flexing his claws. "You know I'm gonna get that book. What is it? More superhero costumes?" he added hopefully.

"It's nothing like that!" she insisted, backing up as he advanced on her. "Why don't we just go down to my room and I'll get us some snacks and you can relax and tell me about your day, okay?"

"Okay," Chat agreed, "that sounds like fun—OMG, WHAT IS THAT?" he cried, pointing behind her.

Marinette looked.

He instantly snatched her sketchbook.

"Oh, for the love of—"

"The oldest trick in the book!" he exclaimed gleefully, flipping the sketchbook open. "And you fell for it! You fell—" His voice died as soon as he saw her drawings.

It felt like someone had sucker-punched him.

Chat stared at the tiny figures silently, drinking them in. Even without his photographic memory, _these_ would've burned themselves into his retina.

"Chat, give it back," Marinette said, sounding irritated. She grabbed at the book, but Chat held on.

"No-no-no-no," he pleaded, trying to be careful not to rip the page, "please, let me see these! Please, princess!"

Marinette huffed and let go. "You'd better not tease me about them," she muttered, blushing.

Chat shot her an amused glance before going back to the pictures.

"You named them," he said in wonder, delicately tracing the words with his claws.

"Well, of course," she said, shrugging. "I don't know any girls my age who haven't at least _thought_ about what they'd name their kids."

"Just two boys, then?" he asked, unable to keep the smile off his face. Even if she _hadn't_ given them his last name, the blond hair on one and the green eyes on the other made it easy to tell who the father was supposed to be.

 _Louis and Hugo,_ he thought. _Good, solid, French names._ He approved.

"The girl is on the next page," Marinette said quietly.

He beamed at her and turned the page. _Three. She wanted three kids! That sounded… perfect! He'd always told himself he would never have just one. It was too lonely. And three? He couldn't—_

 _OH._

Tears filled his eyes at the sight of the little blonde girl on the page. And the name that sat beside her, inscribed in beautiful calligraphy.

"Emma?" he choked out.

"Adrien's mom's name was Emilie," Marinette said softly. "He always looks happy when he talks about her, and I liked that name anyway, so…." She shrugged.

 _I will not de-transform and kiss her senseless._

 _I will not de-transform and kiss her senseless._

Chat closed his eyes and held himself still as he repeated that mantra over and over again. Once he was sure he wouldn't attack Marinette as soon as he saw her, he took a deep breath and opened his eyes.

"Are you okay?" she asked, looking at him strangely.

"Tell me more," he begged. "Tell me everything you have planned."

She laughed at him a bit, but agreed, telling him details of the future she wanted: a house, a dream job, how she planned to juggle three kids during fashion week, etc. Chat felt a thrill go through him every time she had to pause and say that she'd need to check with Adrien on the details of such-and-such (her plan was entirely contingent on what Adrien wanted to do and was flexible enough to allow for a great number of things).

Chat couldn't get the smile off his face if he wanted to. _A plan. A schedule, just like he was used to, except he got a say! Marinette was willing to listen to what he wanted and change accordingly. In fact, she_ _ **expected**_ _him to have some different ideas._

He sat himself down and looked back at the sketchbook in an effort to _not_ pull her into his arms and kiss her seven ways to Sunday.

 _Down, boy,_ he reminded himself sternly. _You have years before any of this comes to pass. Patience, Agreste._

"Any pets?" he asked, trying to make conversation to pull his mind out of the gutter.

"A hamster," she replied immediately. "Maybe a dog."

He pouted. "No cats?"

She rolled her eyes. "I'm sure we'll get enough of _you_ around the house," she teased, flicking his nose. "And if their sense of humor is anything like Adrien's, you'll be their favorite uncle."

Chat chuckled evilly. _Oh, she had no idea._

"I am going to spoil them _rotten_ ," he promised, unable to help himself as he pulled her down into his lap.

"No doubt," Marinette giggled, reaching over and flipping the page again. Chat took one look and squealed in delight.

"You gave them kitty headbands!" he cried, hugging her tightly. "So that's what you were working on! OMG, THEY'RE SO CUTE!"

* * *

End.


	10. Chapter 10

_Okay, I had intended to post this one and the next in a separate story by themselves, because it turned into something bigger in my head. But even though the plot bunnies are there, I'm still not sure I wanna post the whole story, so I'm gonna keep these here for now. The prompt for this one was "Mari Saves Chat."_

* * *

" _MARINETTE, NO!"_

Marinette finally got to her room and took a deep breath. _Oh, that had been too close. Waay too close. That scream. She was never gonna get that scream out of her head._

She heard her hatch open and the cat-themed superhero himself dropped down onto her floor into a crouch. She bit her lip as he rose slowly, his eyes already narrowed in anger.

"I'm sorry," she said quickly, closing the door to her room. If he was going to yell at her, which he was probably entitled to do right now, she didn't want her parents to hear the exchange. She heard a low growl as he stalked towards her, his tail flicking in agitation behind him. "I'm so, so sorry."

"Not good enough," he snarled.

"I couldn't help it!" Marinette protested as Chat Noir backed her up against her wall. "My body just moved on its own!"

" _You_ ," his claws moved he wanted to choke her, just before his face crumpled and he pulled her into his arms instead, hugging her tightly. "You _idiot_ ," he sobbed, holding her tight. "I have magical, Miraculous armor, Marinette! I would've been fine!" She relaxed in his arms, hugging him back tightly, all too aware of what _might've_ happened if they both hadn't managed to dodge at the last second.

"Akuma magic has gotten through to you before," she mumbled against his shoulder.

"And what do you think it would've done to _you_?" he countered, tightening his grip briefly. She swallowed.

The acid the science-teacher-turned-akuma had been shooting… it had burned through the floor like it was nothing.

"It probably would've melted me into a puddle of goo," she admitted sheepishly. He whimpered, and she felt his claws dig into her briefly before he got himself under control again.

"Idiot," he muttered. "Stupid, stupid, _idiot_. I'm the one who's supposed to protect _you_."

"Chat, I'm serious. I wasn't thinking," she said, pulling away from him a bit. "I'm usually the first one out the door when an akuma attacks, you know that! I don't know why I jumped in front of you like that—"

He whimpered again, shaking his head from the memory. "Don't ever do that again, princess," he begged. Her heart ached at the sight of the pain on his face.

"I'm sorry," she whispered again.

"Promise me you won't ever do that again!" he insisted. She gulped and looked away. She couldn't. Not when she was Ladybug and he was her partner. Chat Noir took plenty of hits for her, and she tried to stay back, because she knew she _had_ to make it through each fight to put everything back together again, but… she couldn't promise that everything would go all right every single time. There might come a time when Ladybug needed to make a sacrifice for Chat Noir. In the midst of battle, there might be a time when she saw the attack before he did and, like today, her body just _moved_ ….

"Marinette?"

She wet her lips. She was going to have to tell him soon. Chat and Marinette were getting too close to for him to _not_ notice something was up. Either she or Ladybug was going to slip up soon, spilling a secret or telling a joke that only he and the other girl would know about… and for all of his lame jokes and goofball antics, he was far from stupid…. She felt Chat's hands on her cheeks, gently lifting her face to look at him. She looked into his eyes and saw the concern there.

"Promise me," he demanded again. She opened her mouth, but choked on the words. _If she made the promise and then he found out later that she was Ladybug, who risked herself daily…. Oh, he was going to be so angry…._

"I… can't," she choked out. She saw his face crumple again. "It wasn't a conscious decision, Chat! I just—"

He gave a strangled growl, and the next thing she knew, his lips were pressed against hers.


	11. Chapter 11

(A continuation from the previous chapter.)

 **Kitty Kisses**

Marinette froze. Chat Noir pulled away from her, shaking.

"Ohhh… O-Okay… I-I um, yeah… I can explain—no, I can't," he babbled, stepping back further and looking extreme nervous. "I—umm, I'm so sorry, I don't know what—"

"Your body just moved?" Marinette finished for him, her voice strangely calm, considering how much she was screaming inside. _He kissed her! HE'D KISSED HER!_ Chat Noir flushed.

"I—um, yeah—gah, that sounds like such an awful excuse," he said, grabbing his hair and stepping away from her further. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry and it'll never happen again and I'm just gonna leave now and never come back—"

"Wait, Chat!" she cried as he turned to go. Before he could leap out of her bedroom, she grabbed his tail and pulled him to a stop. He slumped, his head hanging.

"Marinette, I—"

"We are both hyped up on adrenaline and near-death experiences," she said, determined not to make him feel completely awkward about what had just happened. "I think we're allowed a bye on this one."

Chat paused for a moment and gave a short, helpless laugh. "Oh God, princess, please don't give me a bye," he begged.

She let his tail go in confusion. "Why not?" she asked.

He slowly turned to face her, guilt and humor warring on his face before he covered it again with his hand.

"Because I—," he stopped and took a deep breath. "There's a part of me that wants to do it again," he whispered, his blush visible underneath his hand. Marinette felt her own face heat up in response.

To be honest, she wasn't completely against the idea. It had felt good, no matter that it was obvious that neither of them knew what they were doing, or that neither of them had dared to move, or that he wasn't the boy she truly wanted to kiss…. Chat was a wonderful person in his own right, but he wanted Ladybug. And she wanted Adrien. This was insane.

"I'm sorry, please don't hate me," Chat babbled again, misreading the look on her face. "I know you're in love with A-Ad—someone else. And I am too—Ladybug, I mean! I'm in love with Ladybug! I'm not in love with Adrien, that would be super weird and—"

Marinette burst out laughing.

"—and now you're laughing at me and you must think I'm like, the sickest weirdo ever, to go around and kiss girls when I already—"

"Chat," she interrupted, grinning at him. "This is why I said we needed the bye."

Chat Noir looked at her and finally shut up, taking a deep, calming breath.

"You're not… mad?" he asked finally. She shook her head and smiled at him.

"It wasn't _that_ bad," she said, rolling her eyes. He looked offended for a moment, then realized she was teasing him and scowled at her. She giggled. "Besides, if you just intended to seduce me by coming here and pretending to be my friend, Mr. Superhero, you should've made a move before now. Think of all the time you've wasted just lounging on my chaise!"

"I happen to like that chaise," he pouted, crossing his arms in a huff. She laughed again.

"Or stalking my balcony!"

"Hey, you have a nice setup!"

"Or stealing cookies and croissants!"

"You _offered_ them to me!"

"Or talking to me, doing homework with me, trying to talk me through confessing to my crush, consoling me when I mess it up…." Chat chuckled and Marinette grinned. "Seems like a lot of work for one measly kiss."

To her disappointment, his face fell again.

"Chat…."

"It's just, I _kissed_ you," he said.

She rolled her eyes. He really was much too much of a gentleman for his own good. She stepped up close to him and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"There, now _I've_ kissed _you_ ," she said lightly. "We're even. No need to worry about it anymore."

He raised an eyebrow. "You kissed me on the cheek," he pointed out.

"Ohhh, so you really _do_ want another kiss," she teased, smirking at him. He flushed deeper and opened his mouth to deny it, but then closed it again, his eyes darting down to her lips for a moment unconsciously. Her breath caught as he licked his lips and locked eyes with her.

 _He did,_ she realized. _He really, really did._

She bit her lip uncertainly. Spur-of-the-moment was one thing, but going into it knowing… _knowing_ what he wanted and _who_ he really wanted and who _she_ wanted and _they were just friends, dammit_ —but that intense look in his eye was making her insides twist around in not-unpleasant way. And the heat and pressure before had been _really_ nice, not to mention the way he'd held her…. Besides, she knew she could trust him. Chat Noir was the one person in the world she was absolutely sure wouldn't hurt her. He'd be the first to back off if she asked.

And it wasn't really cheating if they weren't actually dating anyone else, right?

"We still have that bye," she said softly, licking her lips and stepping closer to him.

His next breath came out kind of ragged and she felt his arm slowly slide around her waist, ready to jump back the moment she gave any indication she wanted him to. She couldn't help the way her hand trembled slightly as she reached up to cup his cheek, tilting her head slightly to avoid bumping noses. A self-satisfied part of her brain noticed that he was leaning in too, just as eager and nervous as she was. Then, slowly, tentatively, she brushed his lips with hers.

They both jumped back from the spark of the initial contact; the idea that _they were really doing this_ crashing around them.

Gulping, Marinette summoned some of her Ladybug-courage, threaded her fingers through his hair and pulled him back down to her. Their noses crashed into each other and they both winced away from the pain.

"Sorry," she muttered, her eyes watering.

Chat just chuckled and reached up to gently tilt her chin up a bit, and then, brushing past her nose, he pressed his lips gently against hers.

 _Oh._

Marinette sighed as her body relaxed against him, melting into the kiss. His lips moved slowly against hers, every touch sending shivers up and down her spine. To her surprise, he made no move to deepen it, or speed up or increase the intensity. He seemed content to simply kiss her at languid and almost-lazy pace.

It was wonderful.

This wasn't passion and instant regret. No promises or expectations. It was just him and her, enjoying each other in a way they never had before. And when he did start pushing just a bit harder, moving slightly faster, she simply drew away and he instantly backed off.

Marinette opened her eyes to see him staring at her. Then, he gave her a long, slow blink. Marinette giggled. Kitty kisses. Of course he would give her kitty kisses. A big, dopey smile blossomed on his face. Marinette giggled again, sure her own face matched it.

"Hi," she said, running her fingers through his hair some more.

"Hi," he answered, pressing his forehead against hers. He was still grinning broadly.

Marinette closed her eyes. She felt really, really good right now. She pressed another kiss, quick and chaste, against his lips, happiness bubbling out of her in another giggle.

"So…."

"I'm still mad at you," Chat mumbled, pulling her closer for another hug.

Marinette shook in silent laughter. From here, it was impossible not to feel his happy purr rumbling through his body, and she was sure he still had that dopey smile on his face.

"Are not," she said, hugging him back.

"Am too."

"Are—"

He kissed her again to hide his own laughter.

* * *

End.


	12. Chapter 12

**A Day Out With Chat**

Marinette knew, from the very moment Alec called her name—no, more like as soon as she entered the contest—that Chat Noir would have the biggest grin on his face when he saw her.

Sure enough, there he stood in front of his statue in the park, surrounded by reporters and cameras, and holding a rose in his Cheshire-Cat smile. She must've made a face, because he instantly pulled it out of his mouth and, to the delight of the reporters standing by, swooped down on one knee to offer it to her.

Ordinarily, she'd roll her eyes at him and make a show of wiping it off when she took it, but right now the world was watching, so she allowed herself to blush and accept it, stammering thanks.

"And here we have our _winner_!" Alec was cheering excitedly to the cameras around them. "Miss Marinette Dupain-Cheng, who won our contest to spend a day with local superhero Chat Noir by donating to the local animal shelter! I guess you're a big cat lover, eh, Marinette?" Alec said, suggestively waggling his eyebrows at her. Chat gave her the same look.

"Well, yes," Marinette said, flustered. "We can't have pets where I live, so I like to help out whenever I can, and this contest was a great opportunity!"

"I'll say!" Alec beamed at her, "it's said that you had multiple entries! How many times did you enter, Marinette?"

"Oh, uh…"

"Twenty-one," Chat finished for her, throwing an arm over her shoulders, nodding solemnly but still grinning.

"I didn't know each cat toy was its own entry! That's just the number it came out to when I finished with all my spare yarn!" Marinette protested. "And some people entered just as many times!"

It was true. Just this morning, Chloe had had workers hauling 50 bags of cat and dog food into the shelter for her entries. Marinette was honestly surprised the blonde hadn't won. She suspected Mayor Bourgeois had been about to name Chloe the winner no matter what name was on the raffle slip, but Alec had snatched it out of his hand before he could and proudly shouted her name to the cameras. She wasn't looking forward to facing Chloe tomorrow.

She was also going to have to remember to be ready for the Bourgeois's tricks when it came time for Ladybug to spend a day with a civilian next month for her own charity at the Children's Hospital.

But for now….

"And what are you planning to do with your very own superhero now that you have him?" Alec asked, still looking like he was hoping for a bigger scoop than he was getting.

"Oh, um, I thought we'd go for a walk in the park and maybe get something to drink," Marinette said, gesturing to the local vendors in the area. Honestly, she hadn't really thought about it too much, so certain she wouldn't win. But, the thought of doing something with Chat outside her room had its appeal, she supposed. Thus far, they'd had to limit their activities to what they could do inside her room or out on her balcony.

"Whatever you say, my _purr_ incess," Chat said, bowing to her and offering her his arm, blatantly turning his back on Alec and the cameras. She giggled as he led her to a drink line. "Sorry about all the press," he whispered. "We just have to get a few photos for the articles and then we can ditch 'em."

"It's okay," she replied, "I should've known better, entering a public contest like this, that I wouldn't _actually_ get you all to myself for the day."

"Well, I am the cat's meow," he laughed as they placed their orders. He leaned closer to her. "But I'll let you make it up to me later tonight," he promised. Marinette flushed.

"Chat Noir! Marinette!" Another reporter called as they got their drinks. Marinette bit her lip when she saw Nadja coming towards them with excitement written all over her face. She knew Nadja and Alec were having a competition to see who could get the juiciest story right now, and that spelled nothing but trouble for her.

"Hi, Nadja," she said, smiling in a friendly way, "Chat Noir and I already gave Alec our interviews and I'd really like to start my prize day with Chat. Did you need something?"

"Marinette, I have several sources saying that you are Adrien Agreste's secret girlfriend! And we have numerous images of you two dating last month!" Nadja proclaimed happily, showing them a sample picture.

Marinette groaned as the picture of her in her pajamas, a towel and some swim goggles was shoved in her face. Beside her, Chat Noir took a nice, long drink to keep himself from laughing.

"How do you think Adrien will react to your date with a superhero?!" Nadja asked excitedly. Marinette sternly resisted the urge to elbow the cat behind her who was shaking in silent laughter.

"I think he'll happily tell you that I'm just a friend," she deadpanned.

Behind her, Chat spewed out his drink.

"Are you all right?" Marinette asked. Chat nodded, waving her off.

"Sorry, wrong tube," he coughed out. They both waved as Nadja left before Alec could find her.

Chat cleared his throat.

"Yeah... I may have deserved that," he muttered under his breath.

"What?"

"Nothing!"

* * *

End.


	13. Chapter 13

**Actual Cat, Chat Noir**

Marinette stared at the cat-themed superhero currently crouched on her bedroom floor. When she thought of him having cat-like tendencies, she thought of his night vision, or his purr, or his flickering tail. She thought of him decimating her yarn collection, or the way he seemed to be able to nap in the most awkward positions possible.

Not this.

Chat Noir wheezed again, his whole body tensing as he started hacking once more. So far, nothing had actually come up, but not from his body's lack of trying.

"Is there anything I do to help?" Marinette asked. Chat shook his head before another round of dry-heaving took him. She'd already gotten him a bucket, and had paper towels and cleaning supplies on hand in case anything did come up.

"Do you actually lick yourself?" she couldn't help asking. Chat shot her a glare before trying to breathe through the next round.

"Of course not," he managed to rasp out, breathing through his nose. He gave a couple coughs. "But my kwami does." Cough, cough. "And I—" Cough, cough. "—think he saves it all—" Cough, cough. "—for when I'm in the suit." Wheeze. "Or he leaves it in my shoe."

His next hacking round sounded a bit wetter than the rest and Chat finally sat back, taking deep breaths.

"Dammit, Plagg. That was awful."

"Are you okay?" Marinette approaching slowly, in case he was still feeling bad. At least he'd managed to keep it in the wastebasket.

"Fine, fine," Chat said, waving to her carelessly. "I just need to curl up on your chaise for a moment and catch my breath. Sorry you had to see that." He climbed up onto said chaise lounge and flopped down on it, exhausted.

"It's okay," she said, frowning, "I'm more worried about you."

"I'm good. Feeling better already."

"You said your kwami does this? Regularly? What if it happens to you in the middle of a battle?!"

"Huh, I never thought about that," Chat said, giving a little laugh. "I think the adrenaline keeps it down or something. Maybe Plagg has some sense of self-preservation. It could be funny, though! Hey, Hawkmoth, I've got a little present for you—bleeeeh!" He mimicked throwing up and snickered a little at the thought.

Marinette shook her head, unable to keep the smile off her face.

"You would."

"You bet I would," Chat nodded. "I just need the perfect pun to go with it…."

"Ugh, just watch. I bet the final battle is just gonna be a pun war between you and him, with Ladybug facepalming in the background, asking if she can go home yet."

Chat laughed. "It's entirely possible, Princess," he grinned, reaching out and pulling her closer until she was sitting next to where he lay. "But what makes you think Hawk-man can keep up with _me_?"

"Have you heard some of those names he gives his villains?" she asked, carding her fingers through his hair. "The guy obviously loves puns as much as you do."

"Mmm, a worthy opponent," Chat purred, stroking an invisible beard.

"I don't even want to know what you're planning."

* * *

End.


	14. Chapter 14

**Hanahaki Disease**

"Hey, princess," Chat said, lounging on her chair while she watered her plants, "have you ever heard of Hanahaki disease?"

"Yes," Marinette said shortly. "Though I can't say I like the idea."

"Really?" Chat said, sitting up a bit straighter. "Why not? You love flowers!"

"Doesn't mean I want to cough them up, Chat," Marinette said wryly.

Chat pouted. "I thought it sounded romantic."

She giggled as she continued to water her flowers, checking the soil. " _Flowers_ are romantic, kitty. Pain is not."

Chat grinned at her. "Can be," he said, winking.

Marinette rolled her eyes. "Pain can be _sexy_ , if you're into that kind of thing. But dying a slow, painful death by suffocation is not the same thing."

He shrugged. "Point made," he acknowledged, leaning back on her lounger again. "Of course, the other solution is to just _tell_ the one you love…."

"Then I'd be telling him in order to save myself. Not because I want to be with him. Kinda defeats the purpose, don't you think?"

"Wow, you really hate Hanahaki disease, don't you?"

Marinette put down her watering can.

"Flowers are supposed to be beautiful," she said softly, turning towards him as she thought of the best way to explain this, "bringing joy and color to the world. So is love. Even unrequited love can be beautiful in its own way. But that… _disease_ takes those two things and twists them into something that hurts people. It's like Hawkmoth with his butterflies." She gave Chat a sad smile. "I used to love butterflies. Now I panic whenever I see one. It's just… not right."

"I know how you feel," he muttered, thinking of his own panic attacks whenever he spotted a butterfly, even if it wasn't black.

He looked up to see Marinette frowning down at her flowers, instead of smiling softly like she usually did. _Oh no! He hadn't meant to make his princess feel bad! And he… well, he knew exactly who she was thinking about now…._ His own heart gave a twinge at the thought. _Damn it._ He stood up and walked over to where she'd been watering her flowers by the rail, gently touching one of the blossoms.

"But, if you got the surgery, you wouldn't have to deal with those unwanted emotions anymore," Chat said delicately, "wouldn't that make you feel better?"

Marinette shook her head. "I don't want to get rid of the feelings I have for Adrien. They're a part of me, no matter how painful they might be. I love being in love with him. He makes me happy, even if he's not mine. Besides," she smiled up at him sadly, "those feelings have helped me grow, and learn about love in their own way. Who's to say I wouldn't keep making the same mistakes, if I kept losing those emotions?" She shook her head.

"It's love, Chat. I don't think we're supposed to get it right the first time."

He swept her up into a hug, pulling her close and tucking her under his chin. She laughed and returned it, reveling in how safe and warm she felt in his embrace.

"I just… wish I could make it stop hurting for a while, ya know?" he mumbled.

She sighed and squeezed him back. "Me too."

They stayed like that for a while, taking strength from each other, while regretfully wishing they could reveal themselves… just to give the other closure. No such relief was in their immediate future, though. They still had a maniac on the loose.

Then Marinette thought of something.

"You weren't thinking of putting a flower in your mouth to 'cough up' the next time you saw Ladybug, were you?" she asked suspiciously.

Chat laughed nervously, pulling away. "It was supposed to be a joke," he admitted, "but after talking to you… yeah, it would've been in bad taste."

"I'll say," Marinette muttered, unamused.

"No, I'm serious. Roses taste awful."

"Oh my God, Chat."

* * *

End.


	15. Chapter 15

**I Thought I Lost You**

" _Miraculous Ladybug!"_

Chat Noir gasped in a breath of sweet, sweet air as his wounds were suddenly cured, as if they'd never been there in the first place. He took a moment to remind himself how _good_ it was to breathe… and then realized that people could see him right now.

He flipped onto his feet, grinning at the crowd when they broke into cheers.

 _Yay!_

 _Chat Noir was okay!_

 _Ladybug had made everything okay again!_

He gave them all a bow, and then used his baton to pole-vault up to the roof of the building where he and Ladybug had been fighting the akuma. There was his partner, comforting the victim.

 _Just a kid this time_ , Chat noted with a grimace. The kids always seemed to make the worst villains. This one was a little boy, who clearly had a penchant for shooting games. The gamer inside Chat could sympathize, but he sure hoped the kid found a better outlet for all that pent-up aggression. How many times had he been shot? He'd lost count.

The police finally made it up the stairs to the roof, and Ladybug turned the boy over to them, so they could take him home. Only then did his partner make her way towards Chat Noir.

"Hey," she said, sounding kinda shaky.

Chat smiled at her. "Hey."

"You okay?" she asked, nervously licking her lips.

"I'll be fine," he said, nodding. Part of his brain noted that he'd missed an opportunity for at least three puns in there, but… he just wasn't in the mood. Ladybug seemed to notice as well.

"You sure? I could—"

"Milady, why don't you go visit that boy you like so much?" he suggested, before she could get all overprotective on him. "You got hurt too, and I'm sure he's worried about you."

"But—well… I mean… I don't wanna just leave you alone, Chat!" Ladybug exclaimed.

"I'm good. I've got a friend of my own that I can go talk to, if I need to. Well, if she's home right now. That akuma got kinda close to her house."

"Is that why you freaked out?" Ladybug asked softly. In the moonlight, it almost looked like she was blushing.

"Yeah." Chat smiled at her. "Go. Go talk to your boy-toy. I'm sure he'll be happy to take your mind off—what happened tonight. Maybe even make things better with his _magical kiss_ ," he teased, winking at her.

Now she really was blushing.

"We-we're not like that!" she stammered. Chat laughed.

"Okay, milady. Whatever you say," he said, still smiling as he took her hand and gave it a kiss, far more courtly than flirtatious.

"Chat…." Ladybug looked torn.

Chat smiled again. Normally, he'd start flirting. He'd tease her about wanting to be with him instead of her boyfriend, (it had to be her boyfriend, right? No man in his right mind would turn down _Ladybug_!) and make puns and jokes until she pushed him away and started laughing again.

But right now, he was tired. He wanted Marinette, and her soft touches and warm cuddles. He wanted the sweet smell of the bakery and the sound of laughter wafting up from the living room as her parents watched a movie downstairs. He wanted the forgiving half-light of her lamps casting shadows on the walls, hiding the heat he felt when he looked at her.

He wanted home.

 _Home._

"Goodnight, Bugaboo," he said, waving at her and taking off towards the bakery.

 _God, when had he started thinking of her room as his home instead of his own house?_ he wondered as he leapt from building to building. _The idea had snuck up on him, but it felt so right…._

He jumped down to ground level before he got to her house, landing in the park. Her light wasn't even on, he could see it from here.

 _What right did he have to call that place his home?_ he scolded himself, pacing.

 _What right did he have to come here so often and demand snacks and attention? To touch her, let alone hold her? Especially knowing that she pined for someone else?_

He collapsed onto a park bench and buried his face in his hands. _I'm a mess, princess,_ he thought wryly. _My home life's a joke and my powers are what nightmares are made of._

 _What could I possibly offer you that you'd want to take?_

* * *

Marinette raced towards her house, very nearly out of breath. She'd considered Chat's words, she really had. It sounded great. No doubt Adrien would love to get a personal visit from Ladybug. And no doubt, she could make up an excuse not to be in her room tonight. She could say Alya called. The akuma was too close and I was scared! I went to go see a movie!

But all those lies had turned her stomach and left her feeling unhappy. She didn't want to lie to Chat. She wanted…

 _Holy crap_ , _she_ _**wanted**_ …

She wanted to be with Chat more than she wanted to be with Adrien right now!

The thought made her run faster, catching a second wind.

 _When did you invade my heart, kitty?_ she wondered. _When did you come in and steal it, right out from under me? Why couldn't I see it until now?!_

 _CHAT!_

She was almost there. Marinette slowed down to take a breath. One more corner and—she stopped. There was Chat. He wasn't waiting for her in her room, or on her balcony, like he had a hundred times before… he was in the park. Slumped on a bench in the park, to be specific.

 _Why?_

She stepped forward to call out to him, but before she could, he leaned back, staring at her window with a longing expression. Then he stood up and, to her absolute shock, he shook his head and turned away.

He wasn't coming to see her.

Marinette stood there, frozen. _He'd said he'd come to see her. He_ _ **wanted**_ _to come here, she knew he did! So, why?! And why—_ suddenly, she had a feeling as he started walking away… _he was never gonna come here again._

She'd never see him again… except as Ladybug.

She felt her heart break, her legs nearly giving out on her. But at the same time, a surge of anger and determination sewed her heart back up as quickly as it'd broken.

"CHAT!" she screamed, running towards him.

His kitty ears swiveled and he turned in surprise, looking shocked to see her.

"Marinette?!" he exclaimed, as she ran across the park. "What are you—"

She threw herself in his arms, pulling his head down for a scorching kiss. He froze for a moment, undoubtedly surprised, but then he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer, returning the kiss with fervor.

His lips were heat and longing, and she threw every last bit of determination into her kiss, making him taste just how much she wanted him there. She would keep him with her for as long as possible. He had to know she wanted him to stay. He would not leave here without knowing it. She wouldn't let him.

Marinette had no idea how long they stood there, making out; his hands tangling in her hair while hers roamed his body and cupped his face. Finally, she pulled back to see a dumbfounded expression on his face.

"Uh…. H-hi," he stammered. "You—uh…"

"You _stupid_ cat," she breathed. "I _know_ you weren't thinking of leaving without even telling me goodbye."

His sheepish expression gave him away.

"I—uh, I just thought—"

"I thought I _lost_ you," she growled. "That you were never coming back! You've always gotta come back, Chat!"

He looked away uneasily for a moment.

"Chat?! Promise me you'll always come back home to me!"

His ears perked up at her words and he stared at her, wide-eyed.

"Home?" he repeated.

Marinette rolled her eyes. "Yes, home, you mangy stray," she said, grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the bakery.

He let out a deep breath as he fell into step beside her.

"So, your home is my home?" he asked hopefully.

"Obviously," she growled.

He couldn't help but glance at her out of the corner of his eye, licking his lips a bit. "And… will I be greeted so... enthusiastically every time I come home?" he asked, meaning to tease her a bit. Marinette gulped, but she didn't look at him.

"Do you wanna be?" she asked, sounding calm. Despite that, Chat could see her blush. He felt a grin creep up on him, even as his blush matched hers.

"Yeah, I could get used to that," he said, trying to be nonchalant.

"Okay, then."

He felt a thrill go through him at her easy admission. Thankfully, the way she gripped his hand belayed her own nervousness. And his relaxed attitude? It was a damned, dirty lie. Holy heaven, he could still taste that kiss! He'd never get used to something like that!

But it certainly would keep him coming back for more. He grinned and squeezed her hand as she led him inside.

* * *

End.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chat vs. Mari**

Chat Noir licked his lips and grinned as he leapt up to the top of the Trocadero. From his vantage point he could see just about every inch of the grounds below.

She had to be around here somewhere.

It had all started when he'd flopped down on her chaise and complained of boredom. Make no mistake, he loved getting new teammates and all, but now! Now, Rena Rouge and Queen Bee had made a little competition out of who could bring in the most criminals at night. Safe to say, all the would-be petty-thieves and mischief-makers were hiding under their beds, wetting their pants.

Which was great! Yay, Paris was safe and sound and… he was oh, so bored. Ladybug didn't want to play, and the other two superheroines had declared the competition "girls only."

Not that he was pouting or anything.

Cause he wasn't.

Really.

They were just jealous of his skills. That was all.

But Marinette had simply grinned at him and suggested that maybe he make up his _own_ kind of game. And since she needed to make some costumes for an upcoming project of hers… well, she offered to help.

Which led to what was quickly becoming Chat's favorite new game:

Capture the Princess.

Each night, Marinette would wear a new costume that she'd made for her project, trying to evade the superhero hunting her. So far, he'd caught her dressed up as a Musketeer (oh, that one had been fun! She'd even challenged him to a duel once he'd caught her), an Egyptian (that girl knew how to work the kohl), an actual princess (poofy dress and all!), and a secret agent in a three-piece suit and sunglasses (and hot damn, did she pull off the suit!)

He snickered as he scanned the area again. What would she be wearing tonight? She always gave him a clue… tonight's message was simply: "You won't Catch me in a tight spot tonight, kitty! I won't go easy on you at the Trocadero!"

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of metal down below, followed by a fluttering of black. He immediately focused on it, but the figure ran around a corner before he could get a better look.

 _Gotcha, princess!_

Extending his baton, he leapt after her, bounding across the rooftop in reckless abandon, allowing his suit to absorb the impact as he raced after his prey.

 _What the heck was she wearing?_ he wondered as she flung herself around another corner in an effort to lose him. No matter. He was bigger, faster, and had magic on his side.

With a single bound, he ricocheted himself off the wall and around the corner, to pounce on her and pin her against the nearest wall.

"Well, well, well, look what I cau— _oh, that is so not fair_ ," he whispered, finally getting a good look at her outfit.

"What's the matter, kitty?" Marinette smirked coyly. "See something you like?"

Him. She was dressed like _him_. Ears, tail, bell— _a skin-tight leather suit_ —he whimpered, unable to draw his eyes away from the beautiful sight in front of him.

"You're trying to kill me," he rasped out, his mouth having gone dry the moment he saw her thigh-high boots.

"I don't know what you mean," she said lightly, playing with her tail as though she didn't have a care in the world. "I was _trying_ to get away from the big, bad superhero chasing me, so I could commit some heinous crimes against Paris. Maybe I'll start with a burglary? Or is a cat-burgler too cliché?"

Chat tried to speak, tried to joke right back at her, but he was pretty sure his brain had been fried. And her batting playfully at his bell was _not helping_ , _dammit_. He closed his eyes, determined to focus.

"Cat got your tongue?"

He felt her move away, and opened his eyes to see that she'd slipped out of his grasp, winking at him. She even had the nerve to give him his own two-fingered salute. "You seem to be having some personal difficulties, Monsieur Noir. I'll leave you to deal with them."

"Oh, I'm gonna _deal with them_ , all right," he growled, stalking towards her.

"Gotta catch me first!" she giggled, taking off again.

Even without her belt-tail flittering behind her, taunting him, his cat instincts would never have let her get too far. But he was pretty sure a real burglar wasn't supposed to shriek and laugh with delight when they were caught.

No matter. He had other games in mind.

End.


	17. Chapter 17

_Since I keep neglecting my disclaimers, here it is. I own: _ (-whoa, lookit that, no Miraculous Ladybug.)_

* * *

 **Hostage Situation**

 _Running up and down the halls was getting old fast,_ Marinette thought wryly as she turned another corner. _Finally! A door she recognized!_ She quickly opened it and slipped inside, making sure to close it quietly behind her. Just a broom closet, but perfect for her needs.

Then, and only then, did she breathe a sigh of relief and check how Tikki was doing in her bag.

"Just a few more minutes," Tikki promised, her mouth full of cookie. Marinette nodded and left her to it, sighing as she leaned against the wall.

What a day. Miss Bustier was out sick, and their substitute history teacher had turned out to be _very_ enthusiastic about the Greek Classics. And then, when she and Alya had informed him that they weren't even on that subject right now (they were studying ancient China) and Chloe and Sabrina had started making fun of him for trying to push it through anyway… well…

 _But_ _ **still**_ _,_ her mind raged, _to get akumatized over something so_ _ **little**_ _?! He was supposed to be teaching them what they needed to learn, not what—okay, okay, Marinette, calm down. Think this through. He thought his dream of teaching his favorite subject was finally coming true, and instead he gets mocked by a bunch of teenagers. Yeah, that'd upset anyone—_

Maybe even enough to turn their whole school into a Labyrinth and start hunting students as the Minotaur.

'COME OUT, COME OUT, LITTLE LADYBUG! I WANT TO SQUASH YOU AGAINST A WALL OF MY A-MAZE-ING LABYRINTH!"

 _Ehh, then again, if Ladybug managed to kick him in the face a couple of times before finding the akumatized object… well, it was only her job, right?_

"STOP HIDING! I GROW TIRED OF THIS GAME!"

 _And whose fault is that, buddy?_

"NO MORE HIDING! DOORS, DISINTEGRATE!" the Minotaur roared. Marinette squeaked as the closet door vanished in front of her. She quickly backed into the closet further, hiding under a couple mops and a broom.

 _Since when was changing the rules in the middle of the game fair?_ she wondered.

Something landed softly behind her, and two arms shot out, one pinning her arms to her sides and the other hand covering her mouth, muffling her scream. Marinette struggled, panic overtaking her.

"Shhh, shhh, it's me," a familiar voice whispered in her ear. She slumped in relief. Chat Noir. He slowly removed his hand from her mouth.

"I thought you were the monster," she hissed.

"I figured you would," he chuckled lowly in return. "Are the other students safe?"

"As safe as they can be in that prison he's got going in what used to be the courtyard," Marinette muttered.

"Damn."

"Yeah." She tried to turn and face him, and realized that he'd never truly released her from his grip. She was still pressed tight against his body, back to front, and a low, happy purr had started in his chest.

"Chat," she growled, remembering to keep her voice down.

"Yes, princess?" he asked innocently.

"Are you going to let me go?"

"Well, I don't think you should move around a lot right now," he said, his voice taking on a teasing tone. "He might find you easier."

"Chat," she said flatly, "that is a horrible excuse."

He snickered in her ear. "I don't know what you mean," he breathed in her ear. "Surely, you aren't suggesting something…."

"Don't you have a monster to fight?"

"I'm waiting for Ladybug to get back. She had to go recharge her Miraculous," he murmured, nosing her hair.

 _She could get here a lot quicker if you'd just leave!_ Marinette silently seethed when it became apparent that the incorrigible cat-boy wasn't going to be leaving anytime soon. What a conundrum.

 _I can't leave until_ _ **I**_ _come back because_ _ **you**_ _won't leave me until_ _ **I**_ _get here._

 _I hate paradoxes._

 _This would all be solvable if I could just reveal myself to you… but, we're going to have to get a bit more creative._

"I think I saw her heading back towards the center just before you grabbed me," she said softly, inwardly wincing at the lie.

"How?" Chat snickered. "There was a door in the way. Princess, are you _nervous_ about being alone with me?"

"No!" Marinette squeaked, cursing when her voice broke.

"You _sure_?" he pressed, his nose trailing down to her neck.

Her breath caught. "W-what are you—?" She froze as she felt his teeth press against her neck. "Ch-chat?"

"I saw you with that Adrien boy earlier," he murmured in her ear. "You looked so happy. Why haven't you done anything about that yet?"

She huffed in frustration. "It's not that easy, Chat!" she exclaimed, remembering at the last moment to keep her voice down.

"I think he likes you back," Chat continued, his mouth moving back down to her neck. "What do you think he'll say if someone else puts their mark on you?" His teeth went to her neck again and she felt a slight pull.

Marinette paled at the implications. "You wouldn't."

"You think he'll be mad? Grossed out? Curious?"

"Chat—"

"Maybe he'll ask you out himself when he finally realizes somebody else might scoop you up from underneath him," Chat purred. Marinette felt the pressure on her neck increase and tried to ignore the heady rush as her pulse quickened.

"I don't think—"

"CHAT NOIR, COME OUT AND FACE ME!" the Minotaur roared. "I HAVE YOUR PRECIOUS PARTNER TIED UP, AND I'LL CARVE HER INTO A DOZEN PIECES UNLESS YOU SURRENDER YOUR MIRACULOUS!"

Chat cursed and released Marinette, moving to make for the opening. She quickly spun around and grabbed him around the waist.

"Don't go," she pleaded. "It's a trap!"

"Hostage situations usually are," Chat said wryly. He smiled down at her. "Don't worry, Princess—"

"He's lying!" she burst out with a gulp. "He doesn't have Ladybug."

He gave a short laugh. "I thought you said you just saw her going towards the center? It would make sense."

"I was lying," Marinette said quietly. He blinked down at her and she quickly buried her face in his chest. _Of all the ways he could find out… this was not the one she'd choose at all! But if it was a choice between her identity and an obvious trap…._

"He could still have her," Chat pointed out.

She swallowed again, before tightening her hold on him. "He doesn't," she whispered.

Chat went still in her arms.

"And… how do you know that, princess?" he asked slowly. She slumped in his arms.

"You're gonna make me say it, aren't you," she groaned.

"Yes," he breathed. His hand slipped under her chin and he lifted her head to look at him. His eyes were shining with excitement and _hope_ … and longing…. "Please, say it. Tell me, Marinette."

Even now, she could save herself. She could say that Ladybug told her to stay here until she called to say the coast was clear, or wait until the Minotaur lost patience again, or just say it was a gut instinct, or that she'd overheard the monster saying he was going to make a trap…. Oh God, it would be so easy! So simple to trick Chat and mislead him… and one could even argue it was the _right_ thing to do, since they weren't supposed to know each other's identities….

Yes, she should simply lie—

But another part of her was sick of all the lies. So tired of dancing around with half-truths and misdirection—and never quite able to look her partner in the eye, neither as Marinette nor Ladybug, because there was always the pervading feeling that _he should know_ … and she could tell that he'd probably already put the pieces together himself, he was just waiting for her to be ready….

But if he knew… if he _knew_ -knew, there'd be nowhere for her to hide. He'd _know_. And her friends and family could be put in danger, if Chat was ever captured or put under a spell again. And he certainly wouldn't support her chasing after Adrien anymore, once he realized how much he stood to lose….

And even now, the hope was dimming in his eyes as she hesitated….

Chat cleared his throat and stepped away from her. "You know what, don't tell me," he said cheerfully. "Right now, I have a monster to fight. I'll see you tonight, okay, princess?"

She nodded, even as she hung her head.

 _ **Coward**_ , she snarled at herself. _Some superhero you are! You don't even trust your own partner! If Chat is ever captured or put under a spell, your first priority should be saving him anyway! It's not like your friends and family_ _ **won't**_ _be in danger if he's turned to the dark side. Hell, the whole city would be in danger. And—_

 _I want to,_ she thought, nearly sobbing. _I want to tell him. I want to be able to laugh and joke with him as Ladybug, like we do when it's just him and Marinette. I want to be able to brainstorm battle plans when he comes over, or give in and kiss him goodbye after a battle. I want to learn who he is, and meet that amazing boy under the mask—God, I bet Alya would love him, they're both such dorks—I want to be able to introduce him to my parents, and go on dates, and just enjoy this city that we protect… with him._

"Chat?" she choked out.

No reply.

She looked up to see that he'd already left.

 _Coward. I'm such a coward._

* * *

End.


End file.
